Symetria – Self-titled (2017)

New Jersey’s Symetria have officially debuted with their first self-titled album, and it’s actually quite good. At first I thought I was getting a doom album with opener “Wakening” but as the disc continued, I saw that the band were apt to try several different styles within the context of this performance. I wasn’t crazy about frontman Vincent Santonastaso’s vocal approach at first, but it grew on me as did many other parts of the album. Dual axemen James Soto and Kevin Cust also prove their worth on the record with several elaborate solo portions, as well as some proficient leads here and there. Parts of the disc are still raw in areas, but it came off quite memorable overall. Fernando Carerra gives the record a rather heavy, kind of chunky bass end and that makes for what almost sounds like a marriage of traditional heavy metal and east-coast hardcore. With “Flying High” we can easily see that, and I’m really surprised that they were able to make it work. “Venial Sun” almost sounds a bit sludgy, with “All The Same” coming off quite like classic thrash. You can easily hear the Anthrax in play there. “Time” sounds a little more progressive in areas, and you’ll notice drummer Blair Smith attempting several different styles of drum patterning throughout the album. Now some might say that this sounds like a band confused, but I would argue and say that it sounds like a band showing how versatile it is. Symetria actually recall the earlier days of metal when bands were trying a lot of different things and it’s almost fair to say that they’re a crossover act.

I’m quite happy with the disc, as it’s a bit different than most that I receive in this genre and Symetria really could evolve into something noteworthy overtime. The album kind of sounds like Anthrax and Biohazard getting together with Manilla Road or Saint Vitus and that’s certainly not a bad thing. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air from the swarthes of tech-death that we’re being pummeled with on a daily basis. If you’re looking for something that sounds classic yet still retains a few necessary nuances, then I implore you to give this one a listen. Symetria are certainly unique, but as to whether or not they will be the next big thing is known only to time.